Mornings
by Xezo
Summary: Although he shouldn't, he liked moments like this, when Draco doubted himself and what he was doing. Vulnerability was something the Slytherin hated above all else, but Harry liked being able to take care of Draco. HP/DM oneshot, established relationship


A/N: just a short one-shot, established relationship.

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><p><strong>Mornings<strong>

Harry groaned as he opened his eyes, squinting in the light. Rolling over, he glared at the clock. He'd slept in again. Rubbing his eyes sleepily he sat up and glanced at the other side of the bed. It took a while for his sleep addled brain to realise what was wrong with what he was seeing. A dark scowl settled on his face; so that was why he didn't hear the alarm. Yawning, Harry pulled aside the curtains, left the bed and stumbled to the bathroom, glad that no one else was around. Opening the door, he blinked stupidly at the boy standing in front of the mirror.

Catching sight of the ugly mark on the boy's left arm, Harry immediately woke up; nothing was a better wakeup call than a Dark Mark in the morning. He leaned on the doorframe and observed the boy casually.

All he did was stare at his reflection, eyes roaming over his clothed body before resting on the mark, glaring at it. After a while, Harry rolled his eyes. He had tried to understand how Draco felt, but he never would. He could put up with a lot of things regarding that Mark, but not this.

"No matter how long you stare, or glare, at it, it will never go away," he said softly.

Draco twitched and turned to look at him. He frowned and immediately covered the Mark with his sleeve. He looked away from Harry guiltily. The Gryffindor just sighed and walked over. He pulled Draco in a loose embrace, kissing his forehead. Any mention of the Mark shut the boy down, no exceptions; it would probably be a while before he would talk to Harry again. Using every ounce of self control, Harry tried to send every kind of reassuring feeling he had through his skin to Draco, as if his will alone could ease Draco's burden.

"I wish you'd stop turning off my alarm," he murmured into Draco's hair, breathing in the fruity scent of his own shampoo. He wouldn't admit it, but he missed the subtle scents of the Slytherin shampoo. He'd never understood why each house had a different scent, he'd just accepted it. It made sense though, the Gryffindor shampoo just didn't suit Draco. It was too bold.

Draco snaked an arm around Harry's waist and pulled him into a tighter hug. Harry let out a sigh of relief and held the boy closer to him. Although he shouldn't, he liked moments like this, when Draco doubted himself and what he was doing. Vulnerability was something the Slytherin hated above all else, but Harry liked being able to take care of Draco. Moments like this reminded Harry that no matter what the boy sometimes did or said after meetings, he still loved Harry above all else.

"As much as I don't want to let you go," Harry said reluctantly a few minutes later, "I stink and I need a shower."

Draco, face pressed tight into the crook of Harry's neck, wrinkled his nose.

"You should have showered straight after training! I did tell you."

Harry chuckled, running his fingers through Draco's immaculate hair, messing it up.

"If you'd had to duel both Dumbledore and Severus at the same time, you'd have fallen straight into bed without showering too, vanity be damned."

Draco pinched Harry's arm lightly. "Personal hygiene has nothing to do with vanity, vanity is excessiveness."

"And you are so very excessive with your personal hygiene," Harry countered, a smile lighting up his face as Draco's mood began to lift. "So you should give in to your excessiveness and have another shower."

The blonde chuckled before pulling away. Harry was glad to see that the darkness had lifted from his eyes, and his mood was genuine.

"I think not, at least one of us has to make it to breakfast, imagine the talk if we both missed it," he said smoothing his hair out and backing towards the door. "Ever since Snape commented how I smelt like Gryffindor shampoo, they've been watching me like a hawk, let me tease them just a little longer?"

Harry grinned, the entire house had been so shocked when Snape had dropped a vial in potions and shouted "Mr. Malfoy, is that Gryffindor shampoo I smell on you! When I find out with whom you're fraternising I'll..."

Harry chuckled at the memory, wishing he'd heard what Snape would have done to him, the sentence had been rudely cut off by Neville's cauldron exploding. He also wished students could back to teachers, he would have loved to hear Draco call out Snape on smelling him. Although he and Draco had planned to out themselves in front of the entire school, he had to admit, seeing Snape so apoplectic was extremely amusing. Every time Draco didn't return to the dungeons to sleep, Snape was visibly nauseous and angry in the morning, and was so put off he'd even take points from Slytherins if they got in his way.

Harry thought he was overreacting but Draco explained to him that all Slytherins had far too much pride to date Gryffindors, and Draco's lack of house pride was apparently detrimental to the entire house. Harry still thought Severus was overreacting, and rather hypocritical as well. It hardly mattered, no one would guess until they came out. The school thought Draco was with one of the Gryffindor girls, and had not even stopped to consider the boys.

Harry smiled to himself and watched Draco disappear under the invisibility cloak. Sometimes he liked the secrecy. It made him feel as if he alone had Draco, for no one knew the boy like he did, nor would they ever. No one saw the pain after he returned from spying on Voldemort, no one saw the fear or the disgust. No one saw the love, or even a kind smile. All the world ever saw was an emotionless mask, and the true feelings were revealed to Harry alone, in secret moments such as this.

Still smiling to himself Harry quickly stripped and turned on the water, groaning as it came out cold. That was one downside to Draco staying with him all night. Although, when a warm body suddenly pressed against him, he didn't really mind all that much.

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><p>Thoughts?<p> 


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